Sunday, December 6, 2009

To all those
genuinely concerned

The following is being offered
with hopes of enlightening your understanding of what I know to be
true after being incarcerated for decades and witnessing the
morphing transitions of law and policy through time, as well as the
true reasons therefor. In short, I have seen it all, litigated the
important issues in various courts, and examined everything in very
necessary and pragmatic ways. Because of this it is difficult to
have an academic detachment; from this coign of vantage the problems
are known, and the solutions are obvious.

The budget proposal
and possibilities currently being suggested as appropriate for
meaningful change regarding the issues of crime, prisons,
overcrowding and racial disparity at first blush appear sensible,
but in pragmatic terms are disingenuous and will quickly be
recognized as ineffective vis-a-vis the bottom line.

To be
sure, something must be done, and I am quick to laud any efforts
which release prisoners from this situation. But there is also a
need to draw attention to the fact that the suggested measures will
only allow the system to further ignore the thousands of old-law
prisoners who could and should have been released long ago. Fix the
parole apparatus and the problems will quickly fade away.

Old-law
prisoners are continually being overlooked for proper and meaningful
parole consideration despite having served the longest terms, having
the rehabilitative process completed long ago, and being the most
well-behaved, as well as those with the most to lose. The parole
apparatus continues to fail miserably by merely dangling the parole
carrot in front of our faces, and then yanking it away time after
time. Indeed, I was closer to parole twenty (20) years ago than I am
today, purely due to policy shifts. The reality many are coming to
realize is than the carrot no longer exists. The commissioners
correctly state it is their job to look for ways to parole people,
but in reality they are not even trying to try. It should be
shameful on their part to keep running the system in such
irresponsible and costly fashion.

The sad reality is that the
system has not yet been brought to a point where the commission has
to act more sensibly and responsibly. Christ, everyone is still
willing to keep closing schools and continue expanding prisons when
every rational consideration of data suggests otherwise. It was
recently in the media how three of four schools in the Fox
Lake/Waupun area were closed. And yet the construction crews work
incessantly at all the prisons in the same area. Shocking how
complacent people are about how the state would prefer to lock up
their kids than educate them.

The suggested possibility of
re—naming the parole commission to expand their duties for TIS
prisoners is ludicrous inasmuch as they cannot perform the tasks
currently in their charge. They should first at least try to try a
more sensible approach with those cases currently in their charge.
To do otherwise is non-responsive to any social concerns, and
fiscally irresponsible in such economic times.

The $6.5
million for improving prisoner re-entry in the ways suggested will
prove to merely throw good money after bad. Being fair, there is a
chance it might do some good for a few prisoners being released, but
it sure has the appearance of merely creating more DOC jobs. Such
funding would more effectively be utilized fostering the creation of
employment measures — opportunities for starting small businesses
and such — conducive to instill confidence in parolees and give
them a sense of their potential and self-worth. Such an
entrepreneurial enterprise could be accomplished with far less
burden on the tax fisc. What is more, there are a number of
prisoners with BS degrees in Business Administration who would
gladly assist such a prospect if released. Such employment
opportunities would prove self-sustaining in short order and would
genuinely stimulate the economy in the process.

It was
appalling to read the fear-mongering Republican response touting the
public dangers of possibly releasing 3000 prisoners. Of those
eligible, only 500-1000 would actually be released over a two year
period. This gesture will not even be noticed for population
reduction. Every one of those non-violent TIS prisoners probably
should not have been locked away in the first place and, moreover,
comprise a segment who would have been released in a month or two
anyway. Ergo, it will have absolutely zero effect on the problem.
Worse still, it will only allow the system to continue ignoring the
release of those old-law prisoners who have served many decades and
successfully completed their rehabilitation and, therefore, should
have been released many years ago.

It was further suggested
that a new evaluation system would ease the prison population
problem. If it was an honest evaluation it would certainly help
matters; that is, providing it would properly evaluate the
meaningful criteria that are needed to release prisoners who most
deserving. The evaluation system currently in use should be repaired
so a sensible and fair evaluation can be afforded the notion that a
mere few seconds of violence in a person's entire life is not
dispositive of overall demeanor. People can and do change —
especially after serving many decades in the system.

The use
of county facilities to house prisoners will never solve anything in
positive terms. It is ludicrous to imagine such conditions of
confinement benefiting anyone. Being fair, it would more fully
incorporate those facilities into the network; which is not to say
it is righteous or that it will truly help matters. DOC has been
housing prisoners in county facilities for quite a few years now and
absolutely no good has come of it. Well, except for the fiscal and:
census advantage attached to it.

In the final analysis, every
consideration these days seems purely political and absent any real
or sensible concern for justice, fairness, ethics or morality or,
even, the economically distressed system. With the fairly recent JFA
Institute report, it really does not make good sense to foster yet
more discussion on the issues of crime, prison overcrowding, racial
disparity, sensible parole policies, et al. It has all been
discussed ad nauseum. The only constructive dialogue necessary is
found in the JFA report and recommendations, and really does not
require being re-studied by yet another committee or commission.
Common sense needs to be more common.

There is currently zero
accountability for the parole commission to act responsibly.
Measures need to be enacted to touch the commission's emotional
register to change their minds toward policies and meaningful action
more conducive to the greater good of societal concerns. They are
currently doing quite a disservice to society by not paroling those
truly worthy of being productive tax-paying citizens.

In
closing, the paradox at the core of penology is that not only the
worst, but the best are sent to prison. Indeed, over the past 34
years I have met some of the most enterprising, daring, proud and
brave individuals on the planet. A major recalculation is needed to
address the disgraceful irregularities and inequities which cut
against the notion that we are a society founded on fundamental
fairness. The current parole policies cause massive overcrowding,
wasting billions of dollars and diminishing many lives in the
process. The human side of this equation should be given the utmost
consideration when implementing any proposed improvements to the
system. To not do so would be the height of folly and the acme of
irresponsibility when attempting to correct corrections.

Thank
you kindly for considering the above.Sincerely,Ronald
Schilling #32219

This blog is a companion to our Parole web page. Wisconsin has 2887 prisoners who are eligible for parole but are denied year after year. We are part of a campaign to see that these people get a second chance. They are all long past their parole dates. We want to spread the message loud and clear that people DO Change. Below are some of the stories and profiles of the many people stuck in a broken and wasteful system.